diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8c9be4e6973..654377fd560 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 - Removed `src/test` and `@types/enzyme` references from `eui.d.ts` ([#3715](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3715))
 - Added `index.d.ts` file to `lib/test`  and `es/test` ([#3715](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3715))
 - Added `descriptionFlexItemProps` and `fieldFlexItemProps` props to `EuiDescribedFormGroup` ([#3717](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3717))
+- Expanded `EuiBasicTable`'s default action's name configuration to accept a function that returns a React node ([#3739](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3739))
 
 ## [`27.0.0`](https://github.com/elastic/eui/tree/v27.0.0)
 - Added `paddingSize` prop to `EuiCard` ([#3638](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3638))
diff --git a/src-docs/src/views/tables/actions/actions.js b/src-docs/src/views/tables/actions/actions.js
index 967b86c48a1..6545e5cc5b5 100644
--- a/src-docs/src/views/tables/actions/actions.js
+++ b/src-docs/src/views/tables/actions/actions.js
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export const Table = () => {
             'data-test-subj': 'action-clone',
           },
           {
-            name: 'Delete',
+            name: item => (item.id ? 'Delete' : 'Remove'),
             description: 'Delete this user',
             icon: 'trash',
             color: 'danger',
diff --git a/src-docs/src/views/tables/basic/props_info.js b/src-docs/src/views/tables/basic/props_info.js
index 838ae1ab060..2533d355b70 100644
--- a/src-docs/src/views/tables/basic/props_info.js
+++ b/src-docs/src/views/tables/basic/props_info.js
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ export const propsInfo = {
           description:
             'The display name of the action (will be the button caption)',
           required: true,
-          type: { name: 'PropTypes.node' },
+          type: { name: 'PropTypes.node | (item) => PropTypes.node' },
         },
         description: {
           description: 'Describes the action (will be the button title)',
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/__snapshots__/default_item_action.test.tsx.snap b/src/components/basic_table/__snapshots__/default_item_action.test.tsx.snap
index 22b39650e76..34f82252ca5 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/__snapshots__/default_item_action.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/__snapshots__/default_item_action.test.tsx.snap
@@ -60,3 +60,23 @@ exports[`DefaultItemAction render - icon 1`] = `
   </EuiScreenReaderOnly>
 </EuiToolTip>
 `;
+
+exports[`DefaultItemAction render - name 1`] = `
+<EuiToolTip
+  content="action 1"
+  delay="long"
+  position="top"
+>
+  <EuiButtonEmpty
+    color="primary"
+    flush="right"
+    isDisabled={false}
+    onClick={[Function]}
+    size="s"
+  >
+    <span>
+      xyz
+    </span>
+  </EuiButtonEmpty>
+</EuiToolTip>
+`;
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/action_types.ts b/src/components/basic_table/action_types.ts
index 1f9a1d9a746..1057e7b9c9c 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/action_types.ts
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/action_types.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type ButtonColor = EuiButtonIconColor | EuiButtonEmptyColor;
 type EuiButtonIconColorFunction<T> = (item: T) => ButtonColor;
 
 interface DefaultItemActionBase<T> {
-  name: ReactNode;
+  name: ReactNode | ((item: T) => ReactNode);
   description: string;
   onClick?: (item: T) => void;
   href?: string;
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
index 337ec34a935..1c22d421c09 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe('CollapsedItemActions', () => {
     const props = {
       actions: [
         {
-          name: 'default1',
+          name: (item: { id: string }) => `default${item.id}`,
           description: 'default 1',
           onClick: () => {},
         },
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe('CollapsedItemActions', () => {
         },
       ],
       itemId: 'id',
-      item: { id: 'xyz' },
+      item: { id: '1' },
       actionEnabled: (_: Action<{ id: string }>) => true,
       onFocus: (_: FocusEvent) => {},
       onBlur: () => {},
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
index d9a1cbcdc47..d33c9cb919f 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export class CollapsedItemActions<T> extends Component<
           if (buttonIcon) {
             icon = isString(buttonIcon) ? buttonIcon : buttonIcon(item);
           }
+          const buttonContent = typeof name === 'function' ? name(item) : name;
 
           controls.push(
             <EuiContextMenuItem
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ export class CollapsedItemActions<T> extends Component<
               onClick={() =>
                 this.onClickItem(onClick ? () => onClick(item) : undefined)
               }>
-              {name}
+              {buttonContent}
             </EuiContextMenuItem>
           );
         }
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
index fb9239d59e5..6cce1dae8fd 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
@@ -72,6 +72,24 @@ describe('DefaultItemAction', () => {
     expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 
+  test('render - name', () => {
+    const action: EmptyButtonAction<Item> = {
+      name: item => <span>{item.id}</span>,
+      description: 'action 1',
+      type: 'button',
+      onClick: () => {},
+    };
+    const props = {
+      action,
+      enabled: true,
+      item: { id: 'xyz' },
+    };
+
+    const component = shallow(<DefaultItemAction {...props} />);
+
+    expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
   test('render - icon', () => {
     const action: IconButtonAction<Item> = {
       name: <span>action1</span>,
diff --git a/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx b/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
index 6bdd646c3aa..ddf64608003 100644
--- a/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
+++ b/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ export const DefaultItemAction = <T extends {}>({
   }
 
   let button;
+  const actionContent =
+    typeof action.name === 'function' ? action.name(item) : action.name;
   if (action.type === 'icon') {
     if (!icon) {
       throw new Error(`Cannot render item action [${
@@ -89,9 +91,9 @@ export const DefaultItemAction = <T extends {}>({
           target={action.target}
           data-test-subj={action['data-test-subj']}
         />
-        {/* action.name is a ReactNode and must be rendered to an element and referenced by ID for screen readers */}
+        {/* actionContent (action.name) is a ReactNode and must be rendered to an element and referenced by ID for screen readers */}
         <EuiScreenReaderOnly>
-          <span id={ariaLabelId}>{action.name}</span>
+          <span id={ariaLabelId}>{actionContent}</span>
         </EuiScreenReaderOnly>
       </>
     );
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ export const DefaultItemAction = <T extends {}>({
         target={action.target}
         data-test-subj={action['data-test-subj']}
         flush="right">
-        {action.name}
+        {actionContent}
       </EuiButtonEmpty>
     );
   }